Q: We just moved into a new house twice as big as our last for our family of five. We have discarded all our old furniture and will be buying new.

We expect the great room, next to the kitchen and breakfast room, to be the most used room in the house, as this is where the television and fireplace are. This room is adjacent to a living room, which we anticipate will be more of an "adult" space and used only when our extended family comes to visit.

(ENLARGE)

Creating a great room that suits the familyÕs various needs Ñ particularly with five children in the house Ñ is important. Because this space is relatively large, it can accommodate at least one full-size sofa, one demi-sofa and an additional chair.

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We can't seem to figure out how to bring the seating together to comfortably watch television and at the same time not be so close that the pieces look forced into the space. On each side of the fireplace is a niche where shelving could be built if you think it would be a good idea.

We would like to create a comfortable place for our family to congregate, with as much seating as possible.

A: By definition, a "great room" is generally a space that is wide open to other areas of the house and is usually both family room and living room.

It connotes a space that combines the specific functions of several of the more traditional rooms (family room, living room, study, office, etc.) into a singular unified space. Different great rooms will combine different functions, but they almost always feature a fireplace and inevitably suffer from a lack of wall space.

The room shown on the plan that you included with your letter is more an open family room and, as such, much easier to plan, especially since you have another room as an "adult" space. A room like this one will be your family's jack-of-all-trades. It will be a place to watch television, play games, talk, read and relax; and playing all these roles means this room will be full of elements that can conflict. It will be important to balance these functions to create a space that suits your family's particular needs, rather than forcing the needs to fit the space.

Because the room is relatively large, it can accommodate at least one full-size sofa (about 7 feet long) and one demi-sofa (about 6 feet long), which should provide you with ample seating for two adults and three children. An additional chair, placed by the fireplace, could be incorporated to provide additional seating when needed or simply as a place to relax and enjoy the view outdoors.

Remember that when buying furniture for a space that will be much used (and in particular by children), it is very important to buy the best quality you can afford. Also be sure that the pieces are easy to keep clean. Save the more delicate fabrics for the formal living room and make sure that any fabrics you choose are pretreated against stains.

Surfaces, too, should be easy to clean (preferably with a damp cloth), so consider plastic laminate finishes or glass, tile or wood pieces that are treated against staining.

The niches on each side of the fireplace are a natural place for some built-in storage, and with a family of five, you can never have enough storage.

I would suggest you create an area of about 30 to 36 inches high of closed storage (for games and other things that need to be put away), with the area above as open shelving for books and family mementos.

I have never thought it was a particularly good idea to put a plasma television above a fireplace. Although I have seen it done many times, I can't imagine that the heat from the fireplace can be good for the delicate circuitry of the television. Furthermore, placing the television there will limit the surround-sound capabilities that are so popular with home theaters today. With that in mind, I have shown the television mounted on the short wall and the seating furniture oriented toward it, with a good view of the fireplace as well.